The Black Merchant
by chaotic.grey
Summary: The story of a young man involved in the black market who gets the chance to meet Vyse the Legend... but for all the wrong reasons. *UPDATED - CHAPTER 9 (EIGHT) UP!!*
1. Prologue: Talis Dremond

**The Black Merchant**

  
  
Author: Liz Luthor (AKA Kiwi)   
  
Disclaimer: Skies of Arcadia and all of its characters, plot lines, etc. do not belong to me. Cheers.   
  
Author's Notes: I realize that at this point, it looks like it has nothing to do with Skies of Arcadia, but I have plans... ;)   
  
  


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"There once lived a legend of a man, whose name was Vyse." Their wide eyes gleamed with excitement.   
  
"His every step captivated the hearts of many. He was the first to sail the world, and, as of yet, the only one. Vyse accomplished more in one year than most men have their entire lives. His determination was unmistakable, his courage- inspirational."   
  
A dramatic pause as they stared in awe and wonder...   
  
"...He babysat me once," I shrugged passively. The kids burst into laughter and Raine stepped out of the doorway, shaking her head.   
  
"Talis, how many children's minds must you poison with lies until it finally catches up with you?" she asked sarcastically, rushing the group of kids upstairs.   
  
I grinned and replied, "Who said I was lying??" with a wink. She rolled her eyes, smiled, and waved good-bye from the top of the staircase.   
  
Raine owns the would-be shop above mine in Nasrad. When she bought the place, she converted it into a daycare (you know the package-colorful walls, tacky rugs, little plastic tables that couldn't seat anyone over the age of seven). I guess she just really loves kids, because I don't know any other eighteen-year-old with the patience to single-handedly run the only daycare in Nasrad. Then again, there aren't many seventeen-year-olds with weapons shops, either. You'd think a daycare wouldn't get nearly as much business if it were situated just above a weapons shop, but the parents don't seem to mind. Well, we're not complaining!   
  
Anyway, I live in a room I rented in Ms. Marion's house across the street from my store. The rent is cheap, but the woman's practically a slave driver. I do what I'm told and make swords when I've got free time.   
  
I honestly thought they'd never suspect me.   
  
I was way off.   
  
  
It usually started the same way every morning: Raine would go pick up the children from their homes and bring them to the daycare just before I got ready to open up for the day. My merchandise never sold very well; people often preferred the other weapons shop, run by old Mr. Tane. I could understand why they would go there- the man had been selling quality weapons for quite some time- but I still felt bitter at the fact that my shop was neglected just because I was young.   
  
Way back when I first moved to Nasrad, it didn't take me long to decide that my shop wasn't getting me enough income.   
  
So I took up what became sort of...a _night job_, shall we call it?   
  
  
I became a merchant-for-hire in the black market.   
  
  


**.:End:.**

  
  
  
Please review!!! :) Anything is appreciated; just tell me what you think or if anything is wrong so far. Thanks! Oh, and I always put '.:End:.' At the end of my chapters... It doesn't mean the end of the fic! ^_^ 


	2. Chapter One: 'The Black Merchant'

**The Black Merchant**

  
  
Author: Liz Luthor (AKA Kiwi)   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING. As long as ANYTHING includes Skies of Arcadia, then you can't sue me. :P   
  
Author's Notes: Ta-da! I made it all the way to the first chapter! Just kidding... But here goes! :)   
  
  


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When something valuable gets stolen- and I don't mean Uncle Hoss's favorite plow; I mean something _really valuable_- it's everywhere in the news. So if you steal something like that, you're not gonna turn around and sell it to anyone, because then they'd know you stole it. You'd at least become a suspect.   
  
Now, the black market is supposed to be a solution to that problem- a way for thieves and burglars to live happily ever after- but things have changed. An even bigger problem has arisen...a problem by the name of King Enrique. Possibly the most passionate upholder of justice that ever existed in Arcadia, Enrique's got his ever-watchful eye on the black market. Thieves are anxious to get rid of their goods, but nervous, thus accomplishing the King's objective.   
  
I've found that sneaking around Enrique's grasp is easy enough, and the burglars are quite willing to pay a percentage of their earnings in order to avoid it themselves. So I am known as the black merchant in the underworld, selling precious stolen goods so YOU don't have to.   
  
  
...It started out one night when I was looking for another way to earn some cash (aside from the store), and I found out about a weekly game of Heikins. Heikins is a popular game played with an odd-shaped board and a few different kinds of tokens. I'd explain it in more detail, but I've never really played much myself. I only went there to see if it was something I could make, since making swords wasn't getting me anywhere and this seemed like something people were more willing to buy.   
  
Anyway, this particular game of Heikins involved gambling and some very high stakes, so I kept my distance and wore a cloak, telling everyone I was there to sell loqua (as I expected, most of them had brought their own). While they played, they made small talk about this kind of fish and that store one of them had stolen from. At one point, a bulky guy who looked like he was in his twenties said, "Hey, you heard about the set of Moon Stone figurines that went missing from that store in Valua? That was me." He grinned, satisfied. "Anyway, I need to get it offa my hands, but I don't think I can do it without gettin' caught." He laughed, "Enrique's lookin' everywhere for it! Anybody know where I can sell it without worryin' about bein' ratted out?"   
  
I saw my chance and stepped out of the corner. "I can do it," I offered, stressing an Ixa'takan accent. The guy turned toward me and I continued, "for a price, of course."   
  
"...How much?"   
  
I thought for a minute before replying, "...Ten percent of whatever I can get for it."   
  
Hence, I had my first job. That guy told his friends, who then told their friends, and suddenly I found myself wearing that cloak almost once a week. I used a different accent for each client and never gave out my name. It was a nice alternative to my dust-gathering excuse for a shop, and after a couple of months, I was able to buy myself a halfway decent ship (even though it cost me almost everything I'd earned up until that point).   
  
  


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Nearly six months later, I stood behind the sales desk amidst all my weapons and leaned forward on the counter-top. I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. I had just opened up after telling Raine's kids about Vyse the Legend, and, as usual, the store was empty. Most people don't have any use for weaponry anymore, but fishermen always will. They travel all over the skies and are bound to run into more than a few monsters. Being in Nasrad, the biggest trade city in Arcadia, I thought my shop would get plenty of customers. I do get the occasional newbie, who either hasn't heard of Mr. Tane's shop or actually likes my merchandise, but this was quite the slow day.   
  
Seven and a half hours later, it was closing time. I'd had one buying customer that day. Parents had already come to pick up their children from Raine's place upstairs, and she had just finished cleaning up when I turned around the sign which now read 'Open' on our side of the glass door. Raine descended a few of the steps, then stopped and leaned on her arms on the rail, giving me a look that said, 'We need to talk.' Her long red hair fell forward and her light blue eyes peered suspiciously into mine. I walked cautiously toward her and stopped when I was below her area of the stairs.   
  
"...What?" I asked after a long silence. She started walking down the stairs again, talking to me in the process.   
  
"Why are you still doing it? Surely you have enough money now to quit and live off of the shop." I cocked my head to the side confusedly and gave her a perplexed expression. "Your black market business! Why are you still doing it?"   
  
I felt my jaw drop, my eyes widen. "H-how did you...?"   
  
Raine was at the bottom of the staircase now. She crossed her arms over her chest and replied, "You told me!! You honestly don't remember?!"   
  
"...I guess not..." I answered, stunned.   
  
"I made you swear you weren't drunk..." she mumbled. "Okay, fine, I'll remind you. It was a little past three in the morning and you came into my house one night. I thought you were a murderer at first because you were wearing that idiotic trench coat of yours. Anyway, when I figured out it was you, I asked you what you were doing at my house at that hour and you...you started crying." Major blow to the manly pride. I let her continue. "You told me everything. About being the black merchant, about what happened that night...about the group of thieves that nearly beat you to death..."   
  
I tried to remember what exactly she was talking about, but I had absolutely no memory of it. Raine was looking at the ground now, and I could vaguely see that she was blushing a little. There must've been something else I'd told her, but I didn't want to ask. I was still taking in the fact that I'd actually told her myself. Why didn't I remember?   
  
"Anyway..." Raine looked up at me again. "You never answered my question. When you came that night, you were talking to me like you'd never get the chance to do so again... It scared me. I don't understand why you continue to do this to yourself."   
  
There was only silence. I didn't know what to say. "Raine...I can't." I spoke softly, "Whatever happened that night, I'm sure it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Everything's running smoothly. If I quit now, how will I ever make any more money?"   
  
"You've got your shop!! Y-you make swords! You could even sell the shop if you wanted, and maybe you could become a fisherman," she yelled at me. "You're being stupid, Talis!!"   
  
Part of me thought she might be right and the other part didn't care. "I'm not gonna give this up," I told her. "But don't worry about me so much, I can defend myself! ...Besides, I don't think I can let myself quit... This is my life now."   
  
Raine was disappointed in me. She glared at me for about a minute with those ice-like eyes, but then her expression turned to sadness. She walked forward slowly and put her arms around me. I hugged her back, smiling comfortably. "You're so stubborn..." she said quietly. After a few minutes, she let go of me and left the store.   
  
I really was just being stubborn. And you'd think that finding out that I'd once been so brutally beaten because of my job that I couldn't even remember it would make me think it through a little more carefully. All I knew was that I didn't want to change. This was easy for me, and I couldn't afford to let it go.   
  
  


**.: End :.**

  
  
  
Please review! Again! I'm going to say that at the end of every chapter! 


	3. Chapter Two: Life

**The Black Merchant**

  
  
Author: Liz Luthor (AKA Kiwi)   
  
Disclaimer: So MAYBE I don't have any rights to video game publications or anything fancy like that, but I've got my computer! My dad's computer!! ;D   
  
  


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"Aika, are you hungry?" Vyse hung upside down from his bunk above Aika's. She gave him a warning glare.   
  
"That's the fourth time you've asked in the past half-hour," she muttered flatly.   
  
Vyse grinned in return and said, "Doesn't all that glaring work up an appetite?" After another minute of glaring, Aika kicked the mattress above hers and Vyse crashed to the wooden floor of the _Fina_, his new ship. He had named the small ship after his friend, who had become the Ambassador of Valua. Fina wanted to spread peace throughout Arcadia, and after her adventures with Vyse and Aika, she had found the courage to speak publicly about her views. She visited the pair often, but they were unable to enter Valua (not by law, mind you-they were bombarded by fans). Fina, on the other hand, now had bodyguards, assigned personally by King Enrique.   
  
"OW!" Vyse exclaimed. "What'd you do that for?!" He sat up and brushed the dust from his blue shirt.   
  
"If you're that hungry, why don't you go get something to eat yourself?" Aika jumped out of the bed and offered Vyse her hand.   
  
Once standing, he replied, "'Cause there's no reason to go until you're hungry, too; that way we can both get lunch in one trip!"   
  
Aika moaned. "Don't we have any food here you could eat??"   
  
"Um...no... We already ate it all."   
  
"Well, where are we supposed to go?! We're currently in middle of NOWHERE, remember?!"   
  
"Then let's get going! Gordo's Bistro is in North Ocean! Maybe by the time we get there, you'll be hungry!"   
  
As Vyse took the helm, Aika sat out on the small deck, thinking about their past adventures. 'We haven't had anything interesting to do in ages...' she thought. 'Compared to saving the world, everything else seems so boring...'   
  
  


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It was very late, but at least this job was nearby. The winds were strong, too, and I clung tightly to my cloak so as not to reveal my identity as I trudged through the desert night.   
  
Then I was underground...in the sewers of Maramba. The gang was impatient.   
  
"Fork it over!" the guy in front ordered as soon as he saw me. I didn't hesitate to hand him the bag of gold. He asked, "How much is it?"   
  
"19,800," I replied in a strong Yafutoman accent. The man sneered.   
  
"So how much did you get?!" he barked. Not big on trust, I supposed.   
  
"2,200, of course."   
  
"...That ain't right! Ten percent of 19,800 is only 1,980!!" Not big on brains, either.   
  
I explained patiently, "I know, but the price I got for it was 22,000. After I took my share out, you got 19,800."   
  
"Aw, whatever! I think he screwed us over!!" some guy in the back shouted. This did not look good. The man in front stuffed the bag of gold into a bag he carried on his back, then began to pop his knuckles quite audibly. I was supposed to be threatened, I think.   
  
"Look, I don't like bein' played with. I'll give you one chance to be honest and give us back whatever you took out of our share." I obediently gave him all of my 2,200 gold. I hated to give it away, because I hadn't actually taken more than I should've, but this guy was pretty thickheaded and I knew I'd have bad business from then on if I got myself a bad reputation through some moron who lacked any math skills whatsoever.   
  
Unfortunately, he wasn't satisfied. "That's it?!" His voice boomed.   
  
Still utilizing the Yafutoman accent, I said, "That's all the money I have on me. That's everything I got out of the sale." I turned around and started to walk away.   
  
"We're not done yet!!" the man screamed after me. I stopped walking.   
  
"I told you, that's all I have." I wasn't lying. I hadn't even thought to bring my sword with me. That would have been quite a convenient little entity in this situation...   
  
"Let's waste 'im, boss!" shouted an excited follower from behind. I knew it was coming. I was prepared to fight, but I was too outnumbered.   
  
First, the guy in front came up and tried to punch me in the gut. I was barely able to dodge it in the narrow sewer system, and then the rest of them (there were about six including the 'boss') came forward. I had had to pin my stomach to the wall to avoid that first punch, so another guy jumped behind me and held me there. I struggled to get free, but as soon as I turned around, one of them punched me in the face. Someone jumped at my left side and knocked me to the ground, where the group continued to kick me, and every now and then, one would pick me up and punch me......   
  
I was still in the sewers when I woke up, but it was daytime. I got up, despite a throbbing pain that was evident throughout my whole body, and started to find my way out.   
  
Then I was in Raine's doorway, and she was staring at me through two very confused, sleep-deprived eyes. Finally, she said, "Oh my god, Talis! What happened?!" She rushed me into the small house and ran to get a first aid kit.   
  
"...Raine..." I choked out. I hadn't tried to speak yet. Suddenly my mind was exploding with pain, fatigue, and emotion, all at once. My subconscious told me I was going to die. I fell to my knees and told her about my job as the black merchant. She busied herself in taking off my black cloak and shirt and trying to use an old Sacres Crystal on my wounds, but she paused for a moment after hearing what I said. Then she shook her head and continued treating me.   
  
"Raine!" I was in tears at this point. "They wouldn't believe me... Look, Raine!" I cried, "They killed me!!"   
  
"Shut up, Talis!" she shouted, almost in tears herself.   
  
"Raine..."   
  
She looked up at me and said, "Stop it. Let me concentrate."   
  
"Raine, please listen to me...I love you so much," I sobbed. "Please don't ever leave me..."   
  
  
I woke up in my room in Ms. Marion's house, surrounded by a cold sweat and gasping for breath. 'A dream...' I took a few deep breaths and successfully calmed myself down. 'Well,' I thought, 'now I remember what happened.'   
  
The dream had come at a horrible time. I had a client to meet that night.   
  
  


**.:End:.**

  
  
  
Please review! :D Oh, and I haven't actually beat Skies of Arcadia yet (I'm on the final boss, but my friend who was letting me borrow it had to take it back), so if there's anything here that doesn't make any sense whatsoever, that's why. ^_^ 


	4. Chapter Three: Stress

**The Black Merchant**

  
  
Author: Liz Luthor (AKA Kiwi)   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own SoA! I never claimed to! Sheesh, it gets old writing these...   
  
Author's Notes: I actually kinda like this chapter, so, y'know, why don't you tell me what you think of it? Hmm?   
  
  


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The yellow Moon was hardly visible through the thick, dark clouds that often covered the Valuan continent. Thunder and lightning were evident everywhere and it was difficult not to be intimidated. I always hated going to Valua. Tonight's client was the captain of a Black Pirate ship. I never liked them much, either. It was turning out to be a pretty unpleasant night. We were to meet at midnight near the Maw of Tartas, and I had to walk the last mile, as I always did. I never let any of my clients see my ship, so I always landed about a mile away from the rendezvous point.   
  
In any case, I was nearing the specified area, and I was in a bad mood. If these guys gave me any trouble, I wouldn't have hesitated to draw my sword (which I pointedly brought after the nightmare the previous night). I was even considering raising the price for my services, because at that point, ten percent was just not cutting it.   
  
Finally, I arrived at the Maw of Tartas. I saw my client standing over on the other side and circled around to him. He had a suspicious glint in his eye and when I approached, he started grinning.   
  
"Alright, here's the deal: I know who you are, kid. Now, my crew and I got a job to do, and you're gonna see to it that we don't get caught-otherwise we'll tell King Enrique your little secret!" I'd faced situations like this before, and none of them actually posed a threat, so I thought I might as well ask.   
  
"Oh? Then who am I?" I slowly reached for my sword as I spoke (just in case).   
  
"Talis Dremond. A 17-year-old, for cryin' out loud! You're pretty sneaky, I'll give ya that," he shook his head. I immediately froze. I didn't expect him to actually _know_. I was shocked, but I kept my composure nonetheless; I couldn't let this guy see that he'd gotten to me. I still had one way out, but it was a pretty slim chance.   
  
"...How much does the job pay?" I asked.   
  
He smirked and said, "Not that bright, are you? Let me repeat myself: I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. You're not gettin' any payment! Either you do this or your secret's out, kid!!" The man let out an ominous laugh. He was smarter than he looked. I had hoped to decline his offer, but of course this wasn't an offer; this was blackmail.   
  
  


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Vyse downed the rest of his beverage in one gulp and continued to happily devour his meal. Aika poked at her food and occasionally took a sip of her water, more interested in watching her companion eat his fill. A few minutes later, Vyse noticed her unusual behavior.   
  
"What's wrong?" he asked casually.   
  
Aika sighed with distress. "There's nothing to do. I feel like now that we've accomplished so much, there's nothing left for us..."   
  
Vyse gave her a sympathetic look and advised quietly, "You and I should be grateful just to be alive." Aika nodded in agreement, still troubled. He continued, "I know, it's hard... I feel the same way you do. For most Air Pirates, this kind of situation is a nightmare, and we both started out so young... We're only twenty, Aika!"   
  
"That's what I've been thinking. We've seen the whole world... It's funny-that's the kind of thing you dream about when you're a kid, but once you've done something like that, life almost doesn't seem worth living..." Vyse's head snapped up immediately with concern. "Don't worry, Vyse, I'm not about to kill myself. I just don't know what to do about this, you know?"   
  
"...Hey, I'm goin' through the same thing," he consoled her. "But like I said, we've had more than one lucky break in the past. I've decided that no matter what happens, I'm still alive, and for that reason, I will continue to live. Can you imagine how different things would be if Galcian or Ramirez had _killed us_ way back then?"   
  
Aika showed a slight smile and replied, "I guess that is a better mind-set. Thanks, Vyse."   
  
"No problem!" Vyse brightened at the sight of her smile and told her, "I had to convince myself of that, too. It took about two and a half years, but hey, I did it!" He grinned his familiar grin and they left Gordo's Bistro contentedly.   
  
  


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Enrique leaned forward with his chin on his hands as he tried to concentrate on his problem. "It doesn't make any sense, Fina," he determined. Fina sat across from him in the Valuan Grand Palace (which had been rebuilt), also pinned with the problem.   
  
"...Maybe they're lying," she suggested. Enrique quickly dismissed this solution with a shake of his head.   
  
"No. I've considered that theory myself, but convicts don't cover up for their connections when they could be killed for it. Let's go over this again, though: so far, we've caught three thieves who have, in the past, associated with this 'black merchant'. The first, Bryan Kelms, claimed that the black merchant wore a dark cloak and spoke in an Old Lower-Valuan accent, but he knew nothing more. The second offender, Damon Jice, gave us the same information, except he said the man had a slight Nasrean accent. Finally, Adam Greyman, our third man, was able to tell us that the black merchant wears a black cloak, gloves, and boots, he supposedly has a very strong Mid-Ocean accent, and he _might_ have light brown hair. I don't think we can conclude anything from this!" He was visibly stressed, his brow furrowed and his eyes hard (which they seldom were). Moegi, who had been standing in the doorway, drew near her fiancé and began to methodically massage his shoulders. Enrique tried to relax, but he was faced with far too many problems for one man-first, there was this black merchant thing, then the rumors spreading around in the underworld about an assassination toward him, then the ever-present and strenuous responsibility of governing a country... Sure, he was a king, but he was still just twenty years old, and all this pressure was certainly unhealthy for him.   
  
Fina remarked, "Well, either there is more than one black merchant, or the man we are dealing with is quite cultured. He must have been to quite a few different places in the world to be able to utilize such characteristics. Did any of our captives give a height estimate?"   
  
"...Yes, as a matter of fact, Jice said he was probably around six feet. But all that leaves us with is that he's around average male height for anyone between the ages of seventeen and forty-nine and he could live anywhere in the world. Not to mention he _might_ have light brown-ish hair," Enrique summed up. The girls didn't often see his negative side, but they could understand quite well why it'd be coming out now.   
  
Moegi attempted to comfort him. "Please do not worry so much," she begged. "We will figure it all out eventually..."   
  
  


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I couldn't think of what to say. How in Arcadia could I escape this? If I suddenly went traveling with some band of Black Pirates, who knows if I'd ever get back home, or if I'd ever see Raine again... This wasn't my kind of job. People would start suspecting things back in Nasr; they might even claim me a missing person! _How could I get out?_   
  
Finally, I asked, "...What's this job of yours, anyway?" I was almost positive he wouldn't tell me, but I had to take what I could get.   
Fortunately, he was cocky. He grinned somehow bigger and explained, "I've got a plan that's gonna make me and my whole crew rich- even you, if you cooperate." He paused to let the tension build, then said, "We're gonna kill Vyse."   
  
  


**.: End :.**

  
  
  
Well, um... Review! Yes, review! PLEASE review! Please? 


	5. Chapter Four: Time

**The Black Merchant**

  
  
Author: Liz Luthor (AKA Kiwi)   
  
Disclaimer: By now, you're all very sure that I DON'T OWN SKIES OF ARCADIA!! So why do I bother writing these, anyway? Because some people out there are just mean, and they'd sue me if I didn't. So now I'm just gonna put this space to use and get some of my ramblings out (otherwise I'd have to talk some innocent wall to death). ...Yeah... You know what? No one will ever find anything useful to do with a disclaimer!!   
  
Author's Notes: Hi again! :D Please review, folks- you have no idea how happy it makes me to get reviews! Seriously. It's actually quite sad. I jump around in my computer chair and squeal, "I got a revieeeeww!!!" Umm, ANYWAY, please don't hesitate to tell me what you think. :) And if I screwed something up, TELL ME!   
  
  


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...I believe I was in shock for a moment.   
  
The wind blew sharply and I was taken back to my dreadful reality. There was only silence, aside from the wind. There could only be silence.   
  
The Black Pirate could sense my reaction, I'm sure. He seemed pleased. He had the eeriest yellow eyes, which now gleamed with satisfaction. I couldn't speak. A memory flashed through my mind...   
  
  
"Dad, WAIT!" I screamed, trailing energetically behind my endlessly tall father. He had a big, sturdy build, and compared to him, the frame of my puny seven-year-old body seemed two-dimensional. Finally, he stopped, allowing me to fall in next to him and catch my breath.   
  
He laughed, "Wanna ride?" and knelt down to offer me a piggyback ride.   
  
I refused, stating bluntly between gasps of breath, "I can walk!!" He laughed again and stood up, this time walking so that I could keep up with him.   
  
"Look, see? We're already at Dyne's house," he assured me.   
  
"Uncle Dyne? You aren't gonna leave me alone again, are you?" I pleaded, remembering past reunions with my father's best friend.   
  
My father shook his head. "No, not this time," he smiled. "I'm gonna leave you with Dyne's kid. I'm sure you'll get along well. And don't worry so much, we were only off talking for about an hour last time," my father reasoned.   
  
"Yeah, but-" my retort was interrupted as Dyne answered his door. He smiled at the site of my old man and invited us in.   
  
I looked around for my supposed playmate and found nothing but a ladder. "Dad, you lied!! Uncle Dyne doesn't have a kid!" I whined pitifully.   
  
Then, as if on cue, a boy in a blue t-shirt and denim jeans jumped down from the upstairs area. He wasn't my age though-probably a few years older. I noticed he wore an eye patch that was far too big for him. "Hey, kid," he grinned at me. I folded my arms over my chest indignantly and informed him that I wasn't a kid. "Really? You sure look like one!" Whoever he was, he wasn't THAT much bigger than me.   
  
"Well, how old are YOU?" I asked in return.   
  
He gave a short laughed and replied, "Today, I'm eleven. And you?" I mumbled that I was only seven and he laughed again. "Well, that's okay! I'm sure if you're seven, you at least know how to play pirates." I brightened immediately and nodded my head. "Good! You wanna meet Aika?"   
  
The afternoon passed quickly as I played with my new friends Vyse and Aika. I was about three years younger and a lot smaller than them, but they enjoyed having another crewmember for their game. Vyse was constantly going on and on about how we would someday sail 'beyond the sunset' and discover new lands. He had big dreams, but I looked up to him all the more. He was the most adventurous eleven-year-old I'd ever met, and his charisma drew people to him. In my eyes, he was an inspirational figure beyond inspirational figures.   
  
  
I remembered, as I stood before the Black Pirates in my daze of confusion, the day my father was killed. I had been back at his base with a trusted member of his crew while he sailed off with the rest of them to get some supplies. The man I was with was teaching me to make swords, which I thought made sense because I couldn't fight for the life of me.   
  
At the age of twelve, I waited with Gary for a week before he decided something must've happened, so we left on a small boat that was docked on the island. We didn't have to look far, though, for news of the attack on Caleb the Blue Rogue's ship had spread quickly. My father was dead and so was his entire crew, aside from Gary and myself. His ship, the _Bladestream_, was found floating around, unmanned and entirely emptied- aside from the corpses of my dad and his crew.   
  
Gary and I didn't make it to my father's funeral in time, and he finally dropped me off at Nasrad with enough gold to buy myself either a small, broken down ship or a room to stay in for a couple of nights. This is when I met Raine, and I decided to stay in Nasrad with her. She had the same apartment she has now, and she let me stay with her for nearly a year as the both of us worked toward buying our own shops. I had just bought my new shop and rented the room in Ms. Marion's house a year later when I heard that Gary had committed suicide.   
  
  
There was a flash of blinding purple light that brought me back from the hollow depression of my past, and I immediately snapped to attention as I saw that four of the Black Pirate's men had jumped from the ship and were on their way to assault me. I drew my sword shakily to fight back, but found that time was frozen and their expressions remained exactly the same. Why wasn't I frozen with them? Had they already killed me? Was I still locked inside my memory?   
  
I looked around frantically; I suffered the same feeling I'd had the day Gary left me in Nasrad by myself. 'Alone...' I thought, immensely troubled.   
  
"TALIS!!" Something screamed at me. At first I thought it was just in my head, but then I turned around to discover Raine behind me. She had the same purple-ish glow around her as the Black Pirates did, and I thought she was frozen, too. 'Raine?' I thought confusedly. How had she gotten here? "Talis, COME ON!!" she shrieked. I ran over to her and realized she wasn't frozen; she was the one who had frozen them, using magic drawn from the purple Moon. We ran into her ship, which she had apparently parked just twenty feet away from the site, and flew over to mine. I stared at her blankly as we hovered over it. "...Talis. Go get your ship," she spoke to me as though I was a toddler, but I wouldn't have understood anything more complicated.   
  
I jogged over to the edge of the deck and stepped up on the side, hesitated for a second, then jumped down on top of my ship (about fifteen feet down). My landing was less than graceful, but my mind was elsewhere and I couldn't feel the pain as my back struck the roof of the bridge. I stood quickly and climbed down into the bridge to man the helm.   
  
  


*~---------- + ----------~*

  
  
  
"What should we do?" Aika asked. Vyse shrugged and walked forward to take the helm.   
  
"Can you think of any place you've always wanted to go to?" Vyse asked in return. Aika shook her head patiently.   
  
"...Not any that we haven't already visited... Oh, I know!! Why don't we go home and say hi to everyone?" her features brightened as she thought about her home and friends back on Pirate Isle.   
  
Vyse considered this for a second, and then replied, "Great! I'll take us there. You can go ahead and get some rest." Aika nodded happily and walked back into the bunkroom.   
  
'...Dad...' Vyse wondered how his parents were doing. 'Maybe Aika and I should move back into Pirate Isle. There's not much left for us in the skies, and we could help out a lot more if we were at home...' He shot a nervous glance at the door Aika had just left through and then discretely pulled a round black box out of his right pocket. Its soft, velvety cover was smothered by Vyse's anxious hand as he shakily opened the box and stared at the treasure inside. He was always so prepared to jump into a hopeless battle or escape from a heavily armed kingdom, but with this... This, he was scared of. 'Aika...' He took one last look at the delicately carved engagement bangle before shoving it back into his pocket and taking the wheel again.   
  
  


*~---------- + ----------~*

  
  
  
We had flown back to Nasrad, but I wasn't ready to go home. After docking my ship, I jumped out and ran over to Raine's, the _StarWing_. She waited beside it as I approached.   
  
"Raine..." I began, "We can't drop this. You heard what they're trying to do, right?" She nodded solemnly in agreement.   
  
"...Then we'll take my ship," she noted suddenly after a moment. I almost asked why, but I figured her ship was bigger, anyway. "You need to change clothes. The trench coat isn't exactly subtle," she smiled.   
  
I took off the cloak and replied, "I wear my normal clothes under it. I'll be fine." Raine gave a shocked expression and told me to look at my back. After trying to twist around and finding it impossible to do so, I sent her a look that said, "Physically impossible, air head." She walked up to me and peeled my shirt off, turning it around to show me a large bloodstain on the back.   
  
"What happened?" she asked, astounded.   
  
"...I don't know," I replied innocently. I remembered jumping onto my ship and landing on my back. I ran back over to the ship to inspect the roof of the bridge where I had fallen. "Look at this," I instructed Raine. She followed me and we looked in awe at the damage I had done with my fall. My ship was kind of a cheap one- made of wood and not too roomy- but it held together better than I could ask for. Now, the woodwork was, to say the least, very dented, and one board was sticking out with a broken edge.   
  
Raine jumped down from the roof and went behind me to look at the injury on my back. I turned my head to the side and asked, "How does it look?"   
  
She flinched and replied, "It's one heck of a splinter..." Unfortunately, the subconscious can only remain unknowing of such pain for so long. Now that my brain was well aware of the wound, the pain shot straight from my back and throughout my mid-section. Raine felt me tense up and immediately tried to calm me down. "Don't worry, i-it's not as bad as you think!" 'The stuttering helps,' I thought sarcastically. "Let's get back to my ship and I'll try to heal you, okay?" She clutched my bare shoulders tightly and guided me inside the _StarWing_, where she told me to sit on a table in one of the lodgings. My spine shrieked at me with alert when I sat down, and I started to lose consciousness. I heard Raine cry, "Moons... give me strength!!" before I passed out.   
  
  


**.: End :.**

  
  
  
I made something up (in case you couldn't tell)- when Vyse was looking at the 'engagement bangle,' I did mean an engagement bangle. :) In MY fan fic, instead of proposing with a ring, you propose with a bangle! Got it?   
  
Oh yeah! I can't believe I almost forgot!! PLEASE REVIEW!! It'll only take you a minute, I promise!! :D 


	6. Chapter Five: Reunion

**The Black Merchant**

  
  
Author: Liz Luthor (AKA Kiwi)   
  
Disclaimer: I- DON'T- OWN- SOA!! ...Or anything, for that matter (although presents would be greatly appreciated!).   
  
Author's Notes: Welcome back! Last time, on Black Merchant: ...Just kidding. I'm feeling humorous at the moment. ;) Anyway, this chapter's a happier one, so I hope you enjoy it! As always- review!!   
  
  


*~---------- + ----------~*

  
  
  
I'm still not sure how it happened, but when I was finally fully conscious and aware of my surroundings, I was in a shower, routinely shampooing my hair. I knew I was on Raine's ship, but everything up until that point since I had passed out was pretty much just blank. It didn't matter, however. I was happy to be alive and conscious, and the warm water felt good against my skin.   
  
At this point, common sense began running through my brain, and I wondered, 'What the heck am I doing?! I left my home, my shop, my job... All to protect _Vyse the Legend_ from some Black Pirate who thinks he can kill him?' There didn't seem to be a problem, but I still had an inexplicable drive to resolve it.   
  
After my shower, I wrapped my cloak around me (I couldn't find a towel), and went to ask Raine if she had washed the blood out of my clothes or if she had anything else I could wear. I entered the bridge and started, "Hey, Raine, I was wondering-..." She turned around and raised an eyebrow at me. "I thought- your hair was... red..." I stated confusedly. She pulled a strand of silver hair in front of her eyes and looked at it absently.   
  
"...Oh," she said simply. "My hair changes color depending on what Moon I'm under. Didn't you notice when we were in Valua?" I couldn't even remember being in Valua. I shook my head slowly, surprised. "Well, it does." Raine smiled at my naiveté.   
  
Thinking about it, I realized I'd never traveled anywhere with Raine, so I'd always thought her hair was naturally red. I chuckled and said, "Have you ever been to Ixa-taka? Your hair would be green!" She glared at me and I quickly dropped it, but not before letting out a few more laughs. Now settled down, I asked, "So why does it do that?" Raine shrugged.   
  
"All I know is that it changes color. It's kinda weird, but I got used to it." She was done with this conversation. She turned back around to face the window and the skies ahead.   
  
"So..." I began gracefully. I wanted to talk, even if she didn't want to hear it. "Thank you for healing me. Y'know the... back thing," I said appreciatively. Raine nodded and gave a short yet sincere, "No problem." There was a momentary silence. Finally, I decided I had to know if she was thinking the same thing I was. "Why are we doing this?" I asked openly.   
  
She turned back around to look up at me and leaned against the wall of the bridge, letting out a heavy sigh. "I don't know, either," she replied. "...Maybe it's one of those things you just have to do. That's how I feel, anyway. What do you think?"   
  
"I guess I feel like there's something more to this than just some uninformed Air Pirates." She seemed to agree. What we were dealing with felt like a big problem, even if it didn't look like one. "Oh, umm... I wanted to ask you where my clothes are..." I asked sheepishly, indicating the bloody, sweaty cloak currently serving as my towel. She laughed again and walked past me through the bridge door.   
  
  


*~---------- + ----------~*

  
  
  
Aika yawned and entered the overcrowded bridge, where Vyse still stood at the helm. "We're still not there?" she asked expectantly. Vyse shook his head but continued his stare toward the world ahead of him. Aika walked over and stood beside him, nudging him slightly. "...Wake up, Vyse. Don't get yourself lost in thought while you're flying," she advised him gently. Vyse turned and half-smiled at her. She knew what he was thinking: 'There's no sunset for me to explore...'   
  
"Would you mind taking the wheel for a little while? I think I need to get some rest." Vyse yawned to prove his point. Aika nodded comfortingly and watched with sympathy as Vyse walked slowly out of the room. The burden of which he had yet rid himself would haunt him in his dreams.   
  
  


*~---------- + ----------~*

  
  
  
"Where are we going, anyway?" Raine asked once I reentered the room after changing into my clean clothes. I sat on a stool a few feet away and looked up at her. She clarified by saying, "How the heck are we gonna find Vyse?" I searched my memory for the location of his home-the home my father had visited so many times...   
  
"...It's a small island called 'Pirate Isle'. Know where it is?" Raine only took a moment to think, then nodded happily.   
  
"That's a relief," she replied. "We're actually pretty close." The rest of the trip went by fairly smoothly: Raine and I took turns flying and the weather was nice, but there was this awkward silence every now and then that made me want to scream. I think she wanted me to realize that this was the second time being the black merchant had gotten me seriously injured. I was a little too thick-headed for such common sense.   
  
  


*~---------- + ----------~*

  
  
  
"Vyse!" Aika shouted gleefully. "We're here!" She ran back into the cramped living quarters and shook Vyse to wake him up, then signaled him to follow her.   
  
"I just woke up, Aika, could you possibly- Wow..." Vyse paused and looked at his home. The island was looking as bright as ever, but things seemed busier than usual. There was a Valuan ship leaving from the dock and a different one entering.   
  
"...The place looks so welcoming, doesn't it?" said Aika admiringly. "Is that a Nasrean ship? I think this is the first time I've seen one come all the way to Pirate Isle! I wonder what they're here for?" Excitement shined in her amber eyes as they approached their home.   
  
  


*~---------- + ----------~*

  
  
  
I was nervous beyond explanation. I hadn't actually seen Vyse in ten years, and still only once throughout my entire life. After all he'd been through, all he'd seen, who's to say he'd remember a one-day playmate from his childhood? I suppose whether or not he remembered me didn't have much to do with our current purpose, but it troubled me nonetheless.   
  
"That's a small dock, don't you think?" Raine interrupted my worried thoughts and pointed out what looked to be a plank of wood sticking out of the island compared to Nasrad's docks.   
  
"...They don't get visitors often, I guess," I replied with a distant tone. I thought, 'Raine doesn't even know I ever met him! She's probably wondering how I know where he lives...' I noted the surroundings of the island I was born on; I'd never lived there, but my father grew up on it. He'd left home as soon as possible to gather up his crew and begin his life as an Air Pirate. Although this island was my birthplace, I was rarely seen here. I watched a rather elaborate Valuan ship leave and a relatively small ship turn in on the other side of the island. It didn't have native designs from any other country, so I figured it was from around here. I tried not to show how afraid I was of meeting these people after ten years of hiding from them as we finally docked the _StarWing_.   
  
  


*~---------- + ----------~*

  
  
  
"Wow. It's been awhile since we've been in here, huh?" Aika said thoughtfully as she jumped off the dock of the _Fina_ and onto the floor of Dyne's underground base. Vyse followed absent-mindedly through the entrance to the outside world and stood there for a minute, preparing to see his parents once again. They walked into the house to find Vyse's mother and father seated at the table in an anxious atmosphere.   
  
  


*~---------- + ----------~*

  
  
  
We walked down the familiar wooden path that lead almost directly to the door of Dyne's home, which now stood open to us. I almost gasped as I saw the backs of Vyse and Aika's heads. I hadn't even imagined what it would feel like to actually see them again...   
  
  
"Oh, Vyse! Aika!" Vyse's mother exclaimed.   
  
Dyne turned around in his seat and said sternly, "You're late, son. You just missed-..." he was unable to continue his sentence as he stared at me in awe. "...Dremond...?" he asked softly. Vyse and Aika turned around and saw us standing right behind them, but they didn't seem to recognize me.   
  
"Who are you?" Vyse asked, respectively reaching out his hand to greet us.   
  
"You don't remember him?" Dyne inquired as he stood up and walked to the doorway. "I thought you were..."   
  
"...No," I answered timidly. "Just my dad... I- I wasn't with him at the time..." He could see that he had awaken a bad memory, so he quickly continued.   
  
"Vyse, this is Caleb Dremond's boy. What is it again- Talis?" I nodded my head slowly, my gaze fixed with Vyse's. We stared at one another in silence for another minute as that memory continuously flashed through my mind... I wondered if he remembered me yet.   
  
Aika gasped and said, "I know! You're the kid who's dad was friends with Dyne! You came with him every time he visited because you had nowhere else to go! Vyse, he played with us one afternoon, don't you remember?"   
  
Vyse was still too stunned to speak. He hadn't been expecting this at all. Then again, I wasn't muttering a word, either.   
  
"...Um, hi," Raine said, apparently still standing next to me. "I'm Raine, and, yes, this is Talis Dremond. We need to talk to Vyse for a minute about-"   
  
"Well wait a minute, I've got something to tell him, too," Dyne interrupted. He turned to Vyse. "You just missed King Enrique, son. I've got some bad news." My face went pale at the mention of the Valuan king.   
  
"Give him a minute, Cap'n," Aika said genuinely. "He doesn't even remember who Talis is." I felt inclined to speak suddenly, amazed at the fact that Aika remembered me-and well enough to refer to me by my first name. I continued to stare at Vyse hopefully.   
  
"...You played with me once..." I began softly. "We played pirates... Remember? You teased me because I was so much smaller than you two... And you kept saying how some day you'd explore new worlds... I guess you really went after that dream, didn't you?" The house was silent. "...You've really accomplished it... Amazing."   
  
Raine looked at Vyse's mother. The two of them were excluded from this conversation, so Raine squeezed past us and walked over to her. "I'm sorry we're barging in like this-I mean, I didn't even know Talis knew all of you. But there's a very important matter that needs to be solved as soon as possible, and-"   
  
"How important could it be that you should interrupt this reunion?" Aika asked forcefully. 'Uh-oh,' I thought instinctively.   
  
Raine replied, "Important enough that we traveled all the way from Valua to Nasrad to here to tell you about it! The least you could do is hear me out!" Here it came: the cat-fight.   
  
"We will, if you'll just wait a minute, you impatient little brat!"   
  
Vyse and I exchanged knowing glances and decided to cut this one short. "Aika, chill down a minute. They did come a long way."   
  
"Raine, don't scream at them, we're their guests. Okay?" I walked inside and stood next to Raine, nodding politely to Vyse's mother. I recognized all of them so much... As a child, I had always thought of Dyne and my father as brothers, so they were like my aunt and uncle and my cousins... Well, Aika wasn't actually related to them, but she was close enough.   
  
"...Talis," Vyse's mother began from behind me, "how has everything been? Are you two hungry? We haven't eaten dinner yet, why don't I get something started and we can all talk over some food?"   
  
Vyse smiled, happy to see his mother still as kind as ever. "Thanks, Mom."   
  
"...Alright, I guess we should introduce ourselves to this young lady," Dyne said, indicating Raine, who's expression read, 'Finally!'. Dyne outstretched his hand and said, "I'm Dyne. Talis' father was my best friend, until he... passed away. This is my wife and our son, Vyse. I'm sure you've heard of him and Aika." Raine nodded her head and shook hands with all of them.   
  
"Sorry I screamed at you," Aika smiled, "I guess I have a short temper sometimes."   
  
"Sometimes..." I heard Vyse mumble lightheartedly.   
  
Raine laughed and replied, "I screamed at you, too. I guess we're even."   
  
  


**.: End :.**

  
  
  
Please review!!! And feel free to flame me, I'll take it as a compliment somehow... ;) 


	7. Chapter Six: Movement

**The Black Merchant**

  
  
Author: Liz Luthor (AKA Kiwi)   
  
Disclaimer: I wish I could just do one of these and let it account for all of my chapters... Anyway, Skies of Arcadia in all its glory is completely and utterly out of my possession. What kind of a lifeless bum would want to sue a person for writing a fan fic, anyway...?   
  
Author's Notes: First of all, I'd like to issue a very deserving THANK YOU to my ONLY reviewer of the past three chapters: Son of Santa. If anyone else IS reading this, would you be so kind as to say something?? Nah, I'm just kidding... I love you all, really. But, uh, y'know... it never hurts to review... :P   
  
  


*~---------- + ----------~*

  
  
  
"Vyse," Dyne began, his smile fading to a stern frown, "King Enrique came to talk to you."   
  
Vyse brightened, then asked, "That's a good thing- right?" He looked back and forth between his father and Aika, then at me.   
  
"Don't look at me," I said innocently.   
  
Dyne continued, "...He said he's heard news that someone's after him."   
  
"Well, he is a king," Vyse reasoned. "He's probably got a lot of people after him. It goes with the territory."   
  
"Yeah, but this is different... He says he thinks it has something to do with the black merchant." I nearly fainted in my seat. Enrique thought I was after him?! Who told him that?!? Well, my life was about to get A LOT harder... I felt Raine glance at me, but I didn't want to look suspicious, so I didn't react.   
  
Aika noted, "Oh, I've heard of him... He sells stuff in the black market for a price to the criminal that wants it sold. He hasn't hurt anybody, though... He doesn't even steal stuff himself, he just makes it easier for thieves to make a profit from it. Okay, I guess that's pretty bad, too... But still, what could he do to Enrique?"   
  
Dyne shrugged. "King Enrique said he wouldn't be worried if it were anybody else, but this guy's been sneaking around right under his nose for a long time now. He said that if the black merchant wants him killed, he'll get dead, one way or another." It took everything I had, but I held back a hugely confident smirk as I thought of how easily I could scare up the King... There was still something weird about this, though.   
  
I forced myself to join in the conversation and asked, "What does this have to do with Vyse?" Everyone turned and looked at me after I spoke up for the first time. I tried not to look nervous.   
  
"Actually," Dyne continued, turning once again to his son, "he said that he thought you might be able to help him find the black merchant."   
  
"Wait a minute," Raine piped in, "why does he think the black merchant is after him, anyway? Maybe it's just some gang pulling his leg."   
  
"Well, it's not likely that Enrique would fall for something like that..." Aika said thoughtfully.   
  
Dyne shrugged and sat back in his chair. "He didn't give too many specifics. I told him we weren't expecting you anytime soon, so I guess he probably went back to Valua to search you out." He paused. "Isn't it a strange world we live in? He can track you down anytime he wants, but he can't find the one criminal who's single-handedly brought about the resurrection of the black market after King Enrique's ascent."   
  
Vyse thought about this for a moment, nodding in agreement. Then he looked at me and said, "Hey, Talis, do you have any idea who this guy is? Is there any word of him over in Nasrad?" I cleared my throat and shook my head quickly. Part of me really didn't want to lie to him... If I told them all that I was the black merchant and assured them that I would never plan an assassination on anybody, they would definitely believe me. But I still couldn't stand to let my secret go.   
  
Raine glared at me for a split-second before returning to the conversation with a sigh. "...Well, this is obviously not a good time to bring this up, but the sooner the better, I suppose," she declared. "Vyse, the reason we're here is because there's a Black Pirate and his crew planning to kill you."   
  
The house, and seemingly the whole island, was filled with utter silence. Vyse's mother turned from her cooking to look at her son worriedly.   
  
Aika interrupted the emptiness. "So what? Black Pirates? They're all after us. We've probably even beat 'em before. What's so threatening about a buncha Black Pirates?"   
  
Raine and I exchanged hopeless glances; we had both expected this reaction, and neither of us had a reasonable answer. Nonetheless, I replied, "I know it doesn't sound like a very big deal, but... We both had a really bad feeling about it. So bad that we both left our homes and traveled all the way here to tell you about it, if that's any indication."   
  
Vyse looked slightly puzzled. "...Y'know..." he started, "Isn't it kind of a weird coincidence that you two, me and Aika, and Enrique all came here at around the same time on the same day? And then that Enrique thinks the black merchant's after him, and you guys say that some Black Pirates are after me?"   
  
"Are you trying to accuse us of something?" Raine was fully ready to defend herself.   
  
"No, no, that's not it... I just think this must be connected somehow..."   
  
It was connected. I knew it, too, but I couldn't say anything without revealing my identity. Enrique probably thought I was after him because of the Black Pirates. I had escaped, so now they were threatening me by spreading rumors that I was after King Enrique... They knew it would make my job a lot harder. Now they were waiting for the effects to reach me; if they didn't get what they wanted soon enough, they would tell the King who I was and I would suffer the much deserved punishment of one who planned an assassination on the King. What could I do?   
  
Unfortunately, I wouldn't have as much time to make this decision as I would have hoped for.   
  
There was a deafening explosion on the island, and we all ran outside instinctively to see what had happened. "It's the Black Pirates!!" Aika yelled, referring to a large air-ship with the ominous black skull-and-crossbones flag. Way to point out the obvious.   
  
Vyse turned around and yelled, "Are these the ones??" I nodded gravely, then glanced at Raine. She looked terrified.   
  
"There's something too powerful about this ship. It doesn't look strong enough to have caused that explosion," she shouted over all the noise. About a third of the island was smothered in flames, which spread a lot faster than I had expected. The pirates didn't fire anymore once they saw us all come out of the house. Raine was right- the ship didn't appear large enough to carry as powerful a weapon as would be required to produce so much damage.   
  
I looked around the island for a brief moment, searching for anyone who was in pain. Then I looked up at the ship. Standing on the deck was the captain, who I'd met the other night in Valua. He was glaring right at me. It was so unexpected I nearly jumped as a cold fear overtook my body. Normally I wouldn't be so threatened by someone glaring at me; it happened every single day. But this guy just stood there, absolutely hating every inch of me with his unnerving silver eyes.   
  
Finally, I pulled my gaze away from him and watched as fiery destruction crawled along the island. "Vyse!" I yelled. He turned to me. "I've got a plan! You and Aika go and gather everyone who's hurt and bring them to the dock to board Raine's ship! Dyne, sir, take your wife and everyone who isn't injured and escape from your ship. Raine, prepare the _StarWing_ for take-off and help the injured get on board. After you're all set to leave, let Vyse take the helm and work on healing everybody. Don't leave anybody on this island, and don't attack the enemy, either. We need to get out of here!!" Everyone but Raine began to follow my orders.   
  
"What are you gonna do?" she asked, both worried and warning me at the same time.   
  
I looked back up at those fierce, glowering silver eyes and replied grimly, "I have to get rid of this threat." As soon as Raine left my side, the Black Pirate jumped from his ship and down onto the island, about fifty yards away from me. He smirked, an unbearably knowing expression fixed on his face. I was afraid to move; I felt he could predict my every breath without so much as a second thought. So I decided to do exactly what I never even would have considered doing: I ran straight for him without even pulling out my sword.   
  
  
Vyse jumped into one of the burning houses through a window and jogged around inside, avoiding the flames and shouting for the presence of anyone living. He found a man and his daughter, unharmed but panicking, and led them outside the way he had come. As the three of them exited the house, Aika jumped down from the one next door with a little boy following and a dog in her arms. She gave the pet to the man Vyse had rescued, then signaled to the others to keep going as the two of them ran to the next houses.   
  
In total, they found a little over half a dozen people injured. After searching through all of the flaming area of the island, Vyse and Aika met Dyne back at his house. They separated the population of the island into the injured and not injured, then parted with their assigned groups to evacuate.   
  
  
He gave the reaction I'd hoped for and prepared to attack me. I wasn't confident in my strength or ability to fight, but my lean frame could carry itself easily enough. I continued running straight for him and didn't stop, even when I was less than three feet away. He attempted to punch me in the gut once I was close enough, but I gripped his shoulders and used them with my momentum to hurl myself over him. I flipped in mid-air before landing on my feet on his ship. It was more graceful of a landing than I could've hoped for, but I couldn't keep my balance. I caught myself from falling, then pulled out my sword to face the crowded horde of pirates who were craving bloodshed before me.   
  
"After him!" shouted the captain from below. "Leave him alive, though- we need him."   
  
"Aye, Cap'n Xaer!" they responded in unison. 'Captain Xaer?' I thought. 'Never heard of him...'   
  
  
Once Dyne had lead his group of frightened citizens to the entrance of the base, he gave them instructions as to where to go, then ran around the island one more time to make sure no one was left behind. Finally, he reentered the underground base, which was luckily unharmed, and boarded the _Albatross II_, taking the helm and giving his wife the job of keeping everyone calm. Fortunately, they didn't have a hard time getting away from the island, and Raine's ship departed soon after.   
  
  
There was no pattern to the pirates' attack; they simply did whatever they could to get me down. My current battle plan consisted of one thing: stay _up_. I would avoid a few attacks, then attempt to attack them, then avoid a few more attacks after I missed. Some of them fought with swords, daggers- even a chunk of wood from their ship to knock me over the head with- and others used their bare hands. I stood about as much of a chance as Granny Sue in a room full of Gigas, but I fought nonetheless.   
  
With every jump or dodge, I slowly made my way to the bridge. Nobody noticed until my back was to the door on the inside. I knew they would tear their own ship apart without hesitation within minutes to get to me in there, but it gave me a break. I eyed the helm and made my way over to it, listening as pirates gathered on the roof above. 'Perfect,' I smiled, taking control of the ship. I abruptly drove it forward before taking a sharp right turn and then climbing higher in elevation to avoid the fire below. I heard men falling off the roof, screaming for help from their companions and clawing to stay aboard. I started to follow the _StarWing_, but suddenly the Black Pirate's ship was out of my control. I looked around for problems with the controls and they started to glow a blue color. 'Oh no...'   
  
  
Raine had steered her ship as fast as possible away from the island as soon as everyone was on board, then given control to Vyse when he entered the bridge. She walked into one of the living quarters, where Aika was working on drawing strength from the Green Moon to heal a boy and a girl with burn marks. In the next room sat three people: a married couple and their daughter, all three moaning in pain and trying to nurture their burned skin or bleeding injuries. Raine silently called upon magic from the Green Moon and healed them, advising them to get some rest. There was one more room left, this one with two teenage boys and a whimpering dog. Before Raine could heal them, she heard shouting from the deck.   
  
"Aika, heal the last two!" she yelled as she ran through the hall. Vyse was in the bridge, turned halfway around and shouting at something in the distance while steering the ship back around. Raine looked back toward the island and saw a figure seem to float from it onto the Black Pirates' ship. 'Talis, please be okay...' she willed her thought strongly, as though it would reach the ears of Fate himself.   
  
  
When I raised my eyes to the deck again, Captain Xaer was standing there, also glowing a faint blue color. I recognized the supernatural glow from when Raine had rescued me the other night. Clearly, he was summoning strength from the Blue Moon. I realized he was using the power of wind to drive the ship. Hoping for the chance that he was concentrating too hard to block me, I busted out of the bridge and charged at him with my sword. His reaction was quicker than I'd guessed. The ship stopped glowing and Xaer avoided my blow. Without any wind or outside control, our means of transport began falling in the sky. As we plummeted further into oblivion, Xaer didn't seem very worried about descending uncontrollably to his inescapable death. Instead, he began concentrating again to cast another spell. The ship and everything on it began to glow that same ghostly blue, but as I looked at Xaer, I noticed he wasn't the one controlling it- he looked just as confused as I was.   
  
I lifted my head up to where Raine's ship flew nearly a hundred yards above us. I could see her standing on the rim of the deck, her blue aura equal to ours. Slowly, the Black Pirate ship began to elevate, until it was right up next to the _StarWing_, where Raine stood, straining to keep up the spell. I quickly jumped over to her ship and pulled her down from the rim, breaking her concentration on the spell. I saw Xaer jump over to the burning island just before the ship lost its aura and fell again. I looked behind us at the bridge, where Vyse stood at the helm and gave me a thumbs-up sign before turning the ship back around and powering it full-speed away from the island. Ahead, Dyne waited for us in the _Albatross II_.   
  
"Raine..." I began, breathless, "What was that?" She looked up at me as we both lay exhausted and fighting for air on the deck of her ship. She didn't answer me. "...Are you okay?" I asked. She gave a weak nod and then passed out.   
  
  
Two and a half hours later, I was switching places with Vyse and taking the helm as he walked back to get some rest. We had decided to head to Valua and talk to King Enrique, much to my dismay. I had taken no part in that decision, obviously, but if I had protested they would've become suspicious. Raine was asleep in her own quarters, and Aika was apparently trying to cook. It smelled... interesting. But I kept my mouth shut.   
  
I wondered as we glided through the clouds what would happen to Captain Xaer. His crew was dead, as far as we knew, and he had no means of escape from the burning island, but I found it hard to believe that he would be defeated so easily. A picture flashed in my mind of his chilling, silver-eyed glare and I held back a shiver. I knew he was more powerful than I, just by looking into those haunting-   
  
Wait a minute. Back in Valua, he... Yes, I remembered it correctly. Back in Valua, I had looked into those same exact eyes- but they had been _yellow_.   
  
  


**.: End :.**

  
  
  
Well, there was a good deal more action in this chapter, and it was longer, too. Way fun to write. :) Please review it and tell me what you thought! Oh, and by the way... what's the name of that stupid island, anyway?? I know it was Pirate Isle, but what did they call it to cover it up? I can't remember it for the life of me! If you know it, please tell me in your review. :) 


	8. Chapter Seven: Integrity

**The Black Merchant**

  
  
Author: Liz Luthor   
  
Disclaimer: Skies of Arcadia is not mine. The characters from Skies of Arcadia are not mine. The plot-lines and other ideas from Skies of Arcadia are not mine. Let us rejoice.   
  
Author's Notes: I actually posted two chapters within one month! Be proud, friends! :D   
  
  


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Guilt. What an annoyance.   
  
Loss of sleep. Inability to think straight. And not to mention paranoia that increased every single time Vyse so much as _glanced_ at me.   
  
'He knows,' I thought to myself as I lay in my bunk below Raine's. 'He must know. He's just trying to get me come out with it before we get to Valua.' I rolled on my side, not the least bit tired, but exhausted at the same time. Aika was currently serving her shift at the helm, and Vyse slept peacefully in his own bunk on the other side of our room. I rolled over again, this time on the right side of my body so that I faced his and Aika's bunk-bed.   
  
'Maybe I will tell him...'   
  
My thoughts were interrupted as Raine stormed into the room. I sat up abruptly, but Vyse still slept as calmly as ever.   
  
"What is it?" I asked, pulling myself out of the bed. She signaled me to follow her out of the room. I closed the door softly behind me as I walked into the hallway, where Raine stood with her arms folded over her chest, looking at me as though I'd hanged a fuzzy little bunny rabbit. "What?!" I whispered defensively.   
  
"I overheard a radio conversation between a couple of sailors," she replied with distaste, as though I should have known from that what it was I'd done wrong. I stared at her until she continued. "Fine, then, you go ahead and play the innocent. Maybe I'll just tie you up and give you to King Enrique." My expression only became more confused. She looked exasperated. "Alright, alright! ...I heard news that there was a body found in Nasrad with a message to the King. A threat, actually- and it was signed from the black merchant." We were both silent as we stood in the hallway; she was expectant, and I was just plain shocked.   
  
"...You don't think I..." I paused, then hissed in a lower tone, "You don't really believe I would kill someone, do you?!" Raine looked deep into my eyes, like there was some sort of answer there for her to read.   
  
Finally, she declared, "No."   
  
I rolled my eyes and replied, "Then what's that look for?? You know I didn't murder anybody!"   
  
"Not directly, you didn't, but the body being found wasn't just a rumor. Talis, if you would only drop your stupid make-believe and wake up, none of this would be happening! All you have to do to solve this is tell Vyse who you are, then we can explain the whole thing to them! I've told you a thousand times, you'd still be just fine sustaining yourself without going around, helping thieves make a living. Especially after today."   
  
"What does that mean?" I asked carefully, following her out onto the deck.   
  
"It means-" she started, but couldn't seem to finish it. She took a breath and looked me in the eyes again. "It means that your competition is dead. The body was identified as Mr. Tane."   
  
  
Vyse awoke quietly and stretched before looking around to see if anyone else was in the room. He was alone. Quickly he stood and exited the living quarters, making his way to the bridge.   
  
"Hey," he said casually from behind Aika. She waved without turning around and kept her concentration on the vast expanse of sky stretched before her. Vyse paused to yawn, then decided to leave her to the helm. He spotted Talis and Raine on the deck and smiled, walking over to join them.   
  
  
"That's not fair, I couldn't control that! You know I didn't-" I stopped talking immediately when Vyse approached. Raine turned back toward the sky, troubled.   
  
"...Did I, uh, interrupt something here? I didn't mean to cut in on your conversation," Vyse apologized. I shrugged and rolled my eyes. Vyse chuckled, reading from my expression that Raine had gotten on my case about something. "Would you like me to leave, Miss...?"   
  
Raine sighed. "My last name's Serell, but please don't call me that."   
  
I glanced at Vyse and he glanced back, both of us curious but not quite that brave.   
  
"...No, I don't mind if you stay." As Raine turned around, she glared at me again before smiling pleasantly at Vyse. "Sorry, it's been a long day...for all of us."   
  
"No kidding," Vyse grinned. His optimism was unmatched, despite everything that was occurring all around him. He didn't know the half of it. "I never imagined I'd meet up with you like this," he said to me. "My father never heard anything about you surviving after... Well, you know." I nodded. "But I think this whole thing was meant to happen. You two, Enrique, me and Aika...maybe even that Black Pirate! We were all supposed to meet..." He nodded wisely as he spoke.   
  
'Meant to be? Hardly... More like I made a mistake and POW! Whaddaya know, it's in my face...' Still, I laughed politely.   
  
"To tell you the truth, I don't think I would've lasted much longer without some sort of crisis working its way around my neck." Vyse looked at the sky reflectively, then continued, "People are ironic that way, aren't they?" He chuckled one more time before turning back toward us with a smile.   
  
"I guess so," Raine said partially dryly for me to catch.   
  
Vyse looked at the bridge and waved at Aika, then declared, "I think Aika's getting ready to change shifts. Are you next, Raine?" She nodded.   
  
The three of us walked back inside, Vyse following Aika back into the living quarters to get some more sleep before we docked, and myself staying back with Raine.   
  
She spoke in a detached tone (it was actually a little bit creepy): "I think you should get some rest, Talis. But before you go I want to tell you something. The longer you hide this, the more likely you are to get accused of false charges- like murder. You may not have killed anybody, but word spreads quickly back in Nasrad. People know we're missing. People know you were rivaled to Mr. Tane. People tend to put two and two together."   
  
"...What are you trying to tell me? 'Cause I'm not really getting anything out of this," I replied bitterly.   
  
Raine turned toward me, frustrated. "I'm trying to tell you that Vyse has been through a lot more than either of us, and putting this in his hands would be a much safer decision! But you're so thick-headed, Talis, that you refuse to believe in anything that requires you to give in! What I'm saying is- if you don't tell Vyse what's really going on here, then you and I both know you'll only get yourself _killed_."   
  
  
I rolled onto my back on the lower bunk to glare at the bottom of Raine's mattress. She was still in the bridge, fulfilling her turn.   
  
'No,' I retained stubbornly, 'it would ruin the rest of my life as the Black Merchant. I cannot let my secret out.' Raine's words singed my brain and conscience, which, I'm sure, was exactly what she intended them to do.   
  
'I can't tell him...'   
  
  
"Vyse, there's something I need to tell you." In the end, Raine had won, of course.   
  
"What is it?"   
  
I looked around the bridge guardedly before whispering, "It's about the black merchant... Uh, he's not after Enrique."   
  
Vyse raised an eyebrow at me and asked, "How could you possibly know that?"   
  
"Because...Because I am the black merchant."   
  
At first I thought he didn't believe me, but his smile quickly faded. He knew I was serious.   
  
"...Why?" he asked. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"   
  
"Well, actually, Raine already knows, but..." I sighed, surrendering. "I guess I was just... Y'know- afraid or something. I didn't want to let go of it..."   
  
His expression was grim as he thought about my confession. I wasn't sure how he'd taken it; would he be mad, confused? Disappointed in me?   
  
"Hm," he finally made a sound. "How long have you been doing it? And what for?"   
  
I shrugged and replied, "I've been doing this for about... a year, I guess. I started it just to get some extra cash, but... now I can't get myself to stop..."   
  
Vyse was sympathetic with me; I think, in some manner, he felt the same way I did. He knew there was virtually nothing left for the hero of Arcadia to do, and yet he couldn't keep himself from taking action whenever the opportunity presented itself. "...I guess you don't want us to tell Enrique, then?" I smiled gratefully and he nodded. His look changed to a kind smile in return.   
  
  
About an hour later, we docked in Valua and compiled the company who would be speaking to King Enrique: Vyse, Aika, Raine and I were the only four to go, and everyone else was told to stay with the ships. We told Aika about my... occupation, and sort of came up with a plan of presentation: we would try to convince Enrique to trust us without telling him who I was.   
  
I discovered how famous Vyse had become as soon as we stepped off the StarWing- he and Aika were met with literally HUNDREDS of screaming, lashing, desperate fans. We were quickly ushered away to the Grand Palace.   
  
The others questioned Raine about her sudden change in hair color (which was now a very yellow-blonde), but she wasn't very willing to discuss it, so I covered for her and told them she didn't know the cause either.   
  
  
"Vyse!" the King exclaimed as we entered his conference room. "I heard what happened yesterday... How is everyone?"   
  
Vyse smiled and replied, "They're all doing fine. The only problem is either finding them a new place to live or rebuilding the island, but we didn't see what it looked like after the attack." His smile diminished. "My father told me what you wanted to talk to me about." We exchanged glances before he continued, "We came to tell you that- well, you're wrong. The black merchant's not after you."   
  
Another pause. I had sweat gallons. "...Then what of this message I received?" King Enrique asked, pulling a folded piece of paper from his breast pocket and handing it to Vyse. I examined it over his shoulder; it read 'Catch me if you can- Black Merchant'. "The research team found it next to a body this morning in Nasrad. It sounds a little threatening to me." I gulped hard and tried not to let my fear show. Vyse was as shocked as I was; probably even suspicious of me now. 'Oh great...'   
  
"Your highness," Raine interrupted, "I can't explain why, but I can assure you that the person leaving you these threats is not the black merchant. Maybe someone's just using him as bait."   
  
The King bore his fiercely honorable violet eyes into Raine's, and, though her voice leaked tension, her own stare was strong with conviction. I was grateful beyond explanation at Raine's inclination, despite our previous arguments, to stand by my side no matter what. Finally, King Enrique smiled. "...I wouldn't trust your words worth anything, but those eyes are impossible to accuse."   
  
The pressure flooded from the room like it'd been sealed in air-tight, and Raine almost blushed as she gave a quiet "Thank you."   
  
"Who is this girl?" the King asked, interested. I concealed the jealousy hiding deep in my thoughts and remained silent.   
  
"This is Raine Serell," Vyse replied, then pointed to me. "And this is Talis Dremond. You've probably heard the two of them went missing from Nasrad recently- well, they came to visit me. Talis is an old friend." He grinned naturally. I stopped breathing when the Valuan King turned to greet me.   
  
"Nice to meet you," he said politely, offering his hand. I nodded and smiled. "Talis Dremond... I remember something about that name," Enrique paused. "Oh! You were actually- one of my top suspects... I was told that you and Mr. Tane owned opposing weapons' shops."   
  
"Um, well, yes. But I didn't kill him, I've been with Vyse and co. for two days..." My speaking was irregular; if the King had been looking for it, he'd definitely have found a reason to suspect me. "Actually, Mr. Tane and I only met a couple times, and there was no rivalry between us... I mean-"   
  
"Don't worry," Enrique laughed. "I believe you. Vyse is a better judge of character than anyone I know. I'm sure he'd let me know if you were some sort of criminal!" We all laughed nervously. 'That gushed irony,' I thought. "Well then. What is it exactly that makes you all think that the black merchant is innocent of these threats?"   
  
"Enrique," Vyse commenced, "I'm gonna have to ask you to trust me on this one. I'm sorry, but... We can't give you any information." The King was simply perplexed. What in Arcadia would prompt Vyse to keep something from him?   
  
"I trust you, Vyse. You know I do. I'll call off the man-hunt, then. But I must say, it's very hard to believe this without any reason." There was a thick, solemn silence before he spoke again. "Is there anything else you came for?"   
  
"Yes," I answered. "There's something we could use your help with. There's a gang of Black Pirates after Vyse, and we- well, I- want to find out more about their captain."   
  
The others stared at me, wondering. Enrique replied, "Yes, of course. Who is he?"   
  
"Captain Xaer. I don't know the name of his ship, but it's been destroyed anyway. It would seem that his whole crew is dead. And, actually... Well, actually, we're not so sure he's alive, either, but I think there's a possibility..." The King nodded and my very existence gave an internal sigh of relief.   
  
'That was the most illogical thing I've ever done... But at least the King's my ally now.'   
  
  


**.: End :.**

  
  
  
Phew! That was certainly a long one. ^^ Well, as usual, please review! And why did nobody review the last chapter?? Do none of you love me?? 


	9. Chapter Eight: Distrust

**The Black Merchant**

  
  
Author: Liz Luthor   
  
Disclaimer: Do you really need me to TELL you that I don't own this? I mean, come on- I'm sure all of you know by now that I have absolutely NO life whatsoever. To have rights to a video game publication would require the possession of a life! Don't sue me. I'll go on like this in court for at least three days straight.   
  
Author's Notes: Yeah, it's been a long time again... ^_^;; But I'm back on! Again! I've been so busy lately, and (...) sick! I've been sick! Yeah, that's it! ...Why, no, of COURSE I'm not trying to guilt-trip you into reviewing! ...coughreviewcough...   
  
  


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The crowd let out a collective roar as the flames from their torches danced furiously into the hollow night sky. A man stood in front of the assemblage and shouted vigorously, "We'll show him not to mess with Nasrad!" Another group shout. "He'll have to jump off an island before he can get away with this!! Let's tear this place apart!!" And the mob became ferocious. Windows were smashed, posters, papers, and maps were scattered, rugs caught flame, glass was shattered, and various items were hurled across the room. All the while, the man stood cheering them on: "Go ahead, break everything!! He deserves it!"   
  
Finally, a woman approached the scene slowly, and everyone settled down as she entered the shop. "What in Arcadia are you doing??" the woman asked.   
  
"We're punishing a criminal!" replied a random crowd-member. The leader held his hand up, signaling the others to stay quiet.   
  
The woman looked up at him and asked incredulously, "Dremond?" The leader nodded justly. "You have no proof," she scowled.   
  
"He murdered my father!" the man bellowed. "I know it!!"   
  
"Destroying his shop isn't going to help, even if he did kill your father," she reasoned.   
  
The man sneered, "There's no reason for you to get involved, Ms. Marion. That is, unless you're helping him! I'll bet you were in on it!!" The assembly hollered in agreement. "Tell us, Lynda, where's the boy hiding?"   
  
"Sean," Ms. Marion snapped, "listen to yourself. You know I had nothing to do with this. You know Talis wouldn't do anything like this."   
  
  


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King Enrique had insisted that Vyse and his friends stay at the Grand Palace until his men could track down this "Captain Xaer". Vyse couldn't help but wonder why Talis wanted information on him, though. 'We left him on a burning island in the middle of nowhere. How could he possibly have survived?' He took another small bite of his roll and chewed it slowly in thought. A loud 'thud' against the large wooden table wrenched him back to reality. Vyse blinked a couple of times as he looked up at Raine, who stared at him questioningly and leaned over the table and snickered.   
  
"...What?" Vyse asked innocently.   
  
Raine stood back up and replied, "In the two or three days I've known you, I've not once seen you eat that slowly. Plus, you just had the most lost expression, I couldn't help but interrupt your thoughts." She gave another laugh.   
  
"Oh." Vyse laughed dryly and bit another piece off of his roll, then asked uneasily, "Um, how long have you known Talis?"   
  
Raine's expression immediately sank to a harsh one as she replied, "About a year and a half. Why?"   
  
"...It's just so hard...to trust someone, unconditionally, when you know they've already been lying to you. And I want to believe him, you know? It's just... I don't know. Normally, it's easy for me to get to know people, and I really thought I knew him. Even though we haven't spoken much, I really thought I knew him..." Vyse looked down at his food. He felt guilty; he knew Talis was a good kid, but an innocent person had been _killed_ in Nasrad. How did he know Talis wasn't involved? Raine sat down in the chair across from him and measured him with her eyes.   
  
"I think I know what you're expecting me to say," she began. "You expect me to say something about having faith in people and that Talis is a good person." She paused and waited for Vyse to nod in agreement. He did so, and she moved on, "But I think what you really want is for someone to tell you what to do. If that's what you're looking for, then my advice to you is this: I think you should talk to Talis about it. He really admires you. He wants you to know the truth, even if he doesn't show it."   
  
  
I had tried to sleep, but I was too nervous. How could I possibly rest within the very walls of my greatest threat? I eventually gave up on that and crept out of my guest room to find some sort of alternative purpose. This, of course, eventually lead to my sneaking out of the Grand Palace (I suppose I was ultimately too uncomfortable there). It wasn't easy either: Enrique had guards stationed just about every five feet down every hall, not to mention the fact that the palace was a flat-out maze. Fortunately for me, the sentinels were a bit dim-witted and I had a lot of free time on my hands with which I could explore. It was about an hour later when I thought I'd finally breeched the last of the security guards. On my way through the main gate, I found one more of the clone-ish sentries (or rather, he found me), and he quickly drew his sword on me. "State your name!" he shouted.   
  
"Talis Dremond," I replied steadily. "I'm one of Vyse's party." He didn't lower his sword. I supposed he was the more advanced among the guards. He questioned me for another minute, and I told him I was just going for a walk.   
  
He maintained his glare as he brought down his sword and said coldly, "I don't believe you. I am going to inform King Enrique that you left the palace, and if he does not agree with your actions, then you will be under great speculation upon your return." He granted me this heart-warming sermon before turning around and heading back toward the palace. I watched him walk away until he was out of view, then turned back toward the city.   
  
About fifteen minutes later, I walked aimlessly down the empty streets of a night-cloaked Valua. Another image rushed through my sleep-deprived brain of Xaer's intensely cold eyes piercing into me from above like raging, unholy serpents. Every time I pictured it, the feeling I got became worse. It was to the point where I stopped right in my tracks and let out a loud gasp in the middle of a lonely road. I gave myself a moment to recover before sitting down on the curb and rubbing my face, laughing softly at myself to sound as though I wasn't scared.   
  
"You're losin' it," I said aloud, still chuckling. I didn't believe this in the least, but it made me feel more normal to pretend this behavior was unnatural for me. "He's dead," I forced myself to say. My thoughts, however, were opposing that statement: 'I need to get away from all of this, all of these people... Valua's been destroyed once before, I don't want it to happen again because of me. What if he thinks I'm still at the Grand Palace? What if he attacks them while I'm still here?' I decided to get up and return to the palace. When I turned back toward the bulky edifice, however, I found a litter of the dense guards from before standing across the street from me. I opened my mouth to ask why they had followed me, but I was struck in the back of the head sooner than I could say anything.   
  
  
After his conversation with Raine, Vyse had made his way to Talis's room, only to find that he wasn't there. Rather than turning back and forgetting the whole thing, he had strayed through decorative halls, out onto balconies, and through several parlors in search of his target. Nearly half an hour later, he had headed for King Enrique's royal quarters, then back to his own room.   
  
Upon his return, Vyse found Raine and Aika waiting for him. "Oh! Um, hi," he stammered, surprised.   
  
"Hey," answered Aika and Raine simultaneously. Raine asked, "Did you talk to Talis?"   
  
"...No. I wanted to talk to you about that, actually."   
  
Aika glanced from Raine back to Vyse nervously. "What happened?"   
  
"Well..." Vyse paused a moment to choose his words carefully. "I couldn't find him... So I went to Enrique's room to ask if he knew where he was... And as soon as I got there, one of his guards came in to report that Talis had left the premises. They don't know why, and they said he was acting- 'suspicious'. Enrique ordered him to escort Talis back peacefully."   
  
"Is he back yet?" Raine asked hopefully. Vyse shrugged.   
  
"That's why I wanted to talk to you. Enrique told me we could wait in his conference room. That's where he told the guard to bring Talis."   
  
  
"UGH-!" I immediately turned around to find the guard that had questioned me on my way out of the palace. "What-" Before I could say anything, he had me in a headlock. "W-what's-going on-?!" I managed to cough out.   
  
"Orders from the king: we are to bring you back to his palace. Cooperate, and we won't have to hurt you," he warned.   
  
I scoffed and whispered, "You could have mentioned that before you assaulted me... OW!" One of his recruits had approached us and slapped me across the face.   
  
"Do not oppose us!" he shouted indignantly. 'Righteous bunch of morons, aren't they?' I judged bitterly. They dragged me back to the fortress in such a manner of abuse that I wondered if they thought I really was a murderer. Had King Enrique ordered this violent little arrest, or was I just not trusted by these men?   
  
  
Aika and Raine had followed Vyse back to the conference room to find Enrique sitting at the far end of the long table in the room. Raine was the first to speak. "What's going on??" she asked quickly.   
  
"There's no need to worry," King Enrique replied calmly. "I just don't think Talis will be safe outside the gates of the palace. That's why I asked to have him brought back peacefully."   
  
Raine peered at him suspiciously. "You aren't lying?" she asked.   
  
"Of course not," the king replied. As soon as these words escaped his tired mouth, a large number of his guards entered the room raucously and moved aside to let their superior haul a bloody and disgruntled Talis into the scene.   
  
  
By the time we reached the destination of the king's conference room, I had blood trickling from my mouth and a growing bruise on the left side of my face. They shoved me along until I stood in front of Enrique, at which point I thrust myself out of their grip to rub the wound on the back of my neck. I shot a glare back at them, then noticed Vyse, Aika, and Raine standing across the table from me. Vyse and Aika were astonished; Raine was furious.   
  
I stalked over to Enrique's chair, wiping the blood from my mouth, and exploded. "Did you arrange this?!" The king looked cross. The single-minded guard behind me gave me a swift knock in my mid-back to remind me not to speak to the king in such a manner. I cried out in pain; he had hit the wound from the other day when I'd fallen on my ship. I dropped to my knees on the ground, trying to regain my breath after he'd knocked the wind out of me. The guard started to yell, "Do not-"   
  
"CEASE!" Enrique boomed. I hadn't expected him to wield such an overpowering bark. He stood up and called out, "All of you, leave! Turner- you stay here." The sentries cleared out quickly, with the exception of the superior one- Turner, I supposed. "I specifically ordered you to avoid violence!" the king's voice roared through the room.   
  
"We heard him say 'He's dead,' your majesty. We thought it highly suspicious," Turner reported skeptically, sending me a glare. I sneered back at him and waited for Enrique to react to this piece of information.   
  
The king turned to me and questioned, "Is this true?"   
  
I hesitated briefly before replying, "Yes. But I was referring to Captain Xaer."   
  
"...I'll interrogate you momentarily. Turner, what did your men do to him and how did he earn such a beating?" King Enrique asked incredulously.   
  
Turner replied that I had been uncooperative in the escort back to the castle. I snapped back at him, "You didn't even give me a chance to speak!"   
  
"You appeared aggressive," he said harshly.   
  
"Talis, Turner-!!" Enrique attempted to interrupt us.   
  
I screamed, "YOU FLOGGED ME IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD THE SECOND I STOOD UP!"   
  
Turner was defeated. King Enrique finally ordered, "Turner, you are no longer under my employment! I will deal with this young man as I see fit! Be off!!" The aggravated soldier turned and strode out of the room, no doubt muttering irately to himself along the way.   
  
Raine finally walked over from the other side of the table. "What happened?" she asked, brushing my hair away from the bruise on my face.   
  
"I just wanted to get some air," I ranted, "so I left. And that guy almost killed me on my way out, too. He said he'd let me go, but that I'd be in trouble if the king didn't want me out there."   
  
King Enrique approached me and said slowly, "Why did you say 'He's dead'?"   
  
I looked around at the curious expressions on their faces. "I told you, I was talking about Xaer."   
  
"But why?" Vyse stepped in. I was taken aback by his sudden decision to add to this conversation so warily.   
  
"I just-..." I attempted to think of a way to word this to make myself sound a little more sane. "I keep seeing this vision of him, and I'm just starting to get- a little paranoid. I sat down for a second to calm myself down, and I guess I was telling myself 'he's dead'. I didn't know anyone was there, I didn't mean to say it out loud."   
  
Raine gave me that searching look she always gave; it made me feel like I was under a microscope. "What is it about him that still haunts you?" she asked evenly.   
  
"I don't know... This look he gave me. It was like... It was like he was promising me he'd kill me. I mean, we don't really know if he's dead or not. Not until we find his body, anyway. And he found me last time, he can probably find me again. I mean- h-he... he found Vyse, that is," I corrected myself, looking anxiously at King Enrique. 'Bad move,' I thought. 'I can't let him know why Xaer's looking for me...'   
  
  


*~---------- + ----------~*

  
  
  
"Why are you so keen on defending the boy??"   
  
Ms. Marion retorted, "I've lived with him for almost four years. I think it's safe for me to say I know him well enough to tell you he didn't kill anybody."   
  
"He's the most likely suspect!" shouted Sean. "His shop has been competing with my father's since he opened it! Then suddenly he goes missing, and my father turns up dead. If you can explain that, go right ahead." He glowered at Ms. Marion from above. She looked down and turned to leave the shop.   
  
"...He wouldn't kill anybody," she replied boldly before walking out the door.   
  
  


*~---------- + ----------~*

  
  
  
"Very well," King Enrique sighed resignedly. "Everyone, please return to your rooms and get some sleep. Talis, I would like you to stay and talk to me for a moment." The others left (even Raine, though reluctantly so), and I found myself alone in a room with the king. 'I'm a dead man,' I thought to myself uneasily. "Take a seat," Enrique requested after everyone else had left. I did so stiffly. "I know you have some connection to the man who wants to murder Vyse. I just don't understand why you fear him so much if Vyse is really the one he's after. Could you explain this to me, Talis? And why did you leave Nasrad?"   
  
I took a minute to think about how to respond. "It just- it scares me, that's all. I knew Vyse when we were little and... I dunno, I guess I always looked up to him."   
  
"So it scares you that someone is planning to kill him?"   
  
"...Yeah, I guess so." It wasn't completely truthful, but it wasn't an absolute lie, either. "And then there was that glare he gave me. It was probably aimed toward Vyse- I was standing right next to him- but it really freaked me out. The reason we left Nasrad was to talk to Vyse about the assassination. Raine and me. We... We felt threatened, and we wanted to do what we could to help."   
  
Enrique replied, "Well, I suppose that's it, then. Go get some rest, Talis. You need it."   
  
  
"Do you believe him?" Fina entered the conference room silently and stood across the long table from the king.   
  
"...Not much," Enrique answered. "He's too nervous. It could just be the fact that he's never been mixed up in anything like this, but I think he's hiding something."   
  
Fina hesitated before suggesting, "You might want to give him another chance."   
  
"What makes you say that?" Enrique lifted his head.   
  
"It's just a feeling," Fina replied. "Well, here are the reports from the team who went to investigate Pirate Isle." She handed him the file folder before saying good night and leaving the room.   
  
"... 'The flames were extinguished when we arrived'? 'The cellar below the windmill was the only area unharmed by the flames... The doors were welded shut. We have yet to penetrate them'... What's going on??"   
  
  


**.: End :.**

  
  
  
I started writing this chapter almost two months ago. It took me awhile, but I've been re-reading what I wrote before, and I finally remembered what I had planned to happen! ^^ So send me some feedback while I try and get back into my Black Merchant groove. :) Peace! 


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